


Culture Shock

by JustAndrea



Category: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Cartoon 2018)
Genre: Family Bonding, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Japanese Culture, Post-S2 Finale, exploration of culture, exploration of heritage, lots of introspection on Splinter's part
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:34:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26221213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAndrea/pseuds/JustAndrea
Summary: “...Oh wow,” Leo blinked, a thought popping into his head. His brothers stopped, and looked at him curiously. Leo looked back at them, his eyes filling with realization. “...We’re Japanese. Or, half-Japanese I guess, since we’re only half human.”“...Uhh, you didn’t know that?” Donnie asked dryly. Wasn’t Leo supposed to be the super observant one? “I mean, I kind of thought we all realized that the night we learned Lou Jitsu was our biological father.”“Well, yeah, duh, I knew back then that that made us half-Japanese but like... it’s kind of just now hitting me, you know?”(OR, the Turtles decide to explore their family's heritage a bit, and Splinter realizes just how meaningful sharing a heritage with family can be)
Relationships: Donatello & Splinter (TMNT), Leonardo & Splinter (TMNT), Michelangelo & Splinter (TMNT), Raphael & Splinter (TMNT)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 177





	Culture Shock

**Author's Note:**

> Alright so, I know many RotTMNT fans (including myself) have headcanon'd that Splinter has shared his Japanese heritage with the boys. But after watching the finale, a different sort of thought occurred to me that makes a bit more sense with his backstory as well as his mixed feelings towards being a Hamato. I also just wanted to write scenes of the boys exploring their Japanese heritage/Japanese culture and finding ways to connect to it, so I just kinda mixed the two together! ^v^
> 
> Apologies for not including April in this - she is most DEFINITELY a Hamato just as much as the rest of the fam is, but again I really just wanted to focus on Splinter and the boys for this one. Also, I am not Japanese so apologies if I get anything wrong. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!

It was a slow process, which was to be expected, but their new, still-in-progress lair was beginning to feel a home - or at the very least, feel like it would one day become a home.

The location was pretty perfect, similar enough to their old lair despite it’s obvious differences, like not having a skylight or a moat in their atrium. There was still a lot of furniture they had to replace and utilities they had to install, but each day they made a bit more progress.

Maybe that was why, after successfully installing the wi-fi (after nearly two hours of fiddling with it), the four Turtles decided to take a bit of a break.

“...I think the concrete here is cooler than the concrete at our old place,” Mikey commented, his body sprawled out on the floor as he laid on his stomach.

Donnie, who had settled for just sitting criss-cross in the absence of having a beanbag or chair to sit in, gave his younger brother a bit of a look. “We’re only a couple miles away from the old lair, there’s no way there could be THAT much of a difference.”

“No, I think I sorta feel it too,” Raph said, patting the floor, “It does feel sorta chilly.” Though, maybe that was just because of the already-noticed lack of skylight (something he was already missing from their old home…).

“It’s not ‘chilly’, it’s average!” Donnie lightly argued, “Look, we’re just a little warm from working, of course the floor’s going to seem cool by comparison.”

“Feels a bit smoother too,” Mikey added, ignoring the purple turtle’s words.

“Yeah…” Raph nodded before blinking, “Wait, is this like one of those ‘grass is always greener on the other side’ sort of things?”

Donnie sighed. “No Raph, that’s a different thing.”

“Really? Cause, we’re in a new place that’s on the ‘other side’ of the sewers, sooo-”

As his brothers continued to talk amongst themselves, Leo’s eyes wandered as he tuned them out. He wasn’t used to seeing so many blank walls, though he was sure Mikey would take care of that soon enough. There would probably be a lot of trips to the junkyard over the next few weeks too. 

He really hoped they found some good stuff - new games, new comics, new decor… new beds would probably be a great place to start, though. All they really had for the moment was some air mattresses and a few things they had been able to pull out of the rubble.

Still, Leo couldn’t complain. Things were certainly different, and more than a bit frustrating, but considering all that had happened, things could have been much, MUCH worse…

As if on cue, Leo’s eyes landed on the very first thing that had been installed in their new home, due to their father’s insistence - which had come about after April had given them a certain drawing of Mikey’s that had been left behind. 

What was once a gift was now sitting in the nicest frame they could get on a small table, with a candlestick on each side as well as a spot to place incense and the Hamato symbol in front of it, which Splinter himself had painted into the surface of the table.

While only Karai had any visual representation, Leo knew that the small makeshift shrine was meant to represent ALL Hamatos that had lived and fought for their family, even if Splinter couldn’t properly represent them with a photo or drawing, much as he would have liked... 

Many of the objects that had been passed down to him had been lost in the transition from clan member to action movie superstar, and then from superstar to kidnapped Battle Nexus champion. The only artifact he had managed to hang onto (besides the Shredder teapot, of course) had been shredded by his own hand just a few months ago - not necessarily a choice he regretted, but even so.

Still, as humble and non-traditional as it was, Splinter had still felt that the shrine was important to have in their new home, not wanting to ever forget that his family - _their_ family - really was there for them, and his sons had wholeheartedly agreed.

“...Oh wow,” Leo blinked, a thought popping into his head. His brothers stopped, and looked at him curiously. Leo looked back at them, his eyes filling with realization. “...We’re Japanese. Or, half-Japanese I guess, since we’re only half human.”

“...Uhh, you didn’t know that?” Donnie asked dryly. Wasn’t Leo supposed to be the super observant one? “I mean, I kind of thought we all realized that the night we learned Lou Jitsu was our biological father.”

“Well, yeah, duh, I knew back then that that made us half-Japanese but like... it’s kind of just now hitting me, you know?” Leo tried to explain, “I mean… We literally fought with our ancestors. We have actual grandparents - great-times-a-hundred Gram-Gram Karai and Great Grandpa Sho and Grandma Atsuko! Not to mention a bunch of other relatives and a ton of family history from a whole other country. And that’s just… kinda crazy, you know?”

“...I think I get what you mean,” Mikey said. Sitting up, he brought his knees up to his chest as he looked up at their skylight-free ceiling. “It’s sorta like when we realized we were ‘normal’ in yokai society, and we actually had a chance to explore it and be a part of it.” 

Mikey chuckled slightly, remembering how unfamiliar and at the same time thrilling it had been to just sit at a table in a yokai and mutant filled pizzeria and order stuff ‘like regular people’. “Suddenly it’s not just the five of us in a sewer anymore. We have this whole history and culture and heritage that we can explore, and family that we can remember.” He smiled a bit. “It’s nice.”

“Yeah,” Raph nodded, smiling back at the box turtle, “It’s like… finding a new piece of yourself that was always there, you just didn’t know about it. But now you’ve found it, and not only do you got a bigger picture of yourself, but you can also see what kind of pictures are connected to it, you know?” Before all of this happened, their father had never really shared much of his culture with them, with Lou Jitsu movies and a couple other small things here or there being the extent of their heritage. But now… now there was MUCH more than that.

Donnie hummed. Maybe not the most poetically put-together metaphor his older brother had ever put together, but still fairly accurate, he could admit. “I guess I do kind of get what you mean. It was part of our background all along, but I suppose it feels a bit more ‘official’ now.”

“Yeah, heh…” Leo laid down on his shell, his smile still clearly present. “We’re Japanese…” he repeated.

“Yep,” Raph chuckled as he and his family shared that same smile, “Hamatos for life…” 

The four of them let themselves enjoy the moment before moving on, casually discussing a few other topics until the alarm Donnie had set went off, letting them know that it was time to get back to work. 

But as the brothers went about fixing up their new home and hauling in things from their old one, their earlier realization still stayed present in the back of their minds…

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

While a lot of the big things were done within the first month (since no one wanted to take advantage of April, Draxum or Hueso’s hospitality, and they had all wanted to move into their new home as soon as possible anyway), it would end up taking another three months for their new lair to truly feel like home, with many furnishings, features and comforts both new and familiar. But, like most things in life, it had been well worth the effort as well as the wait.

As Splinter laid back in his ‘new’ (technically just refurbished, but close enough!) recliner, he couldn’t help but enjoy how perfect things seemed to be. They were settling into their new home nicely, Draxum was still on even terms with human-kind despite his occasional complaints and queries about them, the Shredder was no more, and Big Mama… Well, deep in his heart, he hoped that she was alright, but nevertheless was still relieved that they hadn’t yet seen or heard any signs of her plotting any kind of revenge against them.

Yes, everything was perfect… Except for the grumble in his stomach, that is. “Ugh…” Reluctantly forcing himself out of his comfy chair, Splinter made his way down the hall to their new kitchen for some snacks. 

A part of him still thought it was strange, the kitchen now being on the right side of their home and down a level instead of being on the left side and on the second floor. Then again, he couldn’t really blame himself, considering they had lived in the Lair for thirteen years. Even after he stopped going left instead of right, he was sure the layout of their old home would still be stuck in his mind, alongside all his other memories.

Shrugging all of this off in the favor of satisfying his craving for something sweet and hopefully smothered in frosting, Splinter went right. Luckily, there were still a couple Little Debbie cakes left in the cupboard, more than enough for a snack to compliment his game shows.

But as Splinter was unwrapping one of them, his ears picked up on a voice that was muffled slightly due to the stone walls of the room. He recognized it immediately as his oldest, but couldn’t quite understand what he was saying - or why, for that matter. 

Last he checked, Blue and Orange were out trying to collect more art materials for the latter’s mural project while Purple and April were meeting Sunita and Casey for ice cream. So who was Red talking to? Curious, he went to go see for himself.

“Ugh, come on Raph,” Raph told himself, hitting the ‘repeat’ button on the screen of Donnie’s tablet. A robotic voice came out from its speakers.

 _“Watashi wa Nihon-jin desu,”_ it said to him.

Raph nodded to it, determined. “Watashi wa… Nee-han jin desu. Hey, that time wasn’t too bad! Okay so-” He hit the next button, and the next lesson started immediately.

_“Kare no namae wa YOUR NAME desu. Onamae wa nan desuka?”_

“Oh, uh, k-kare no namee wa Raphael des. Ona-ma wana desuka?” Hmm, that didn’t sound quite as right… “Kare no nama Raph- no, nama wa-”

“What are you doing?”

Raph flinched, surprised to see his dad in the doorway, though not embarrassed at all at being caught in the middle of his lessons. “Oh, hey Pop! Or- kon'ni chee-wa, otōsan.”

Splinter blinked. “Uh, _konnichiwa_ to you as well, Red. So, you are… learning Japanese?”

“Yeah!” Raph grinned, “I mean, I just started a couple weeks ago so I still got a ways to go, but I think I’m startin’ to get the basics down! Hmph, though, I don’t think I’m gonna be able to write it for a while.”

Splinter chuckled a little. “Hiragana and katakana are not so bad. Now kanji? _That_ is when it can get complicated.”

Raph gave him an incredulous look. “There’s more than one way to write it?!”

His father laughed again. “Luckily, you don’t have to worry about learning it.”

“Yeah well, it might still be cool to learn some day,” Raph smiled, shrugging a bit. Complicated or not, he didn’t want to half-shell this, even if verbal languages in general weren’t always his strong suit, being someone that preferred actions over possibly fumbling over words. “I’m still gonna try, at least.”

“I see. Well, _koun o inoru_.” Raph stared at him. “...That means good luck.”

“Oh! Heh, thanks Dad!” Hearing how smooth and natural Splinter had sounded just then - how he had spoken it just as easily as their Gram-Gram had - in a way, it sort of fired Raph up! He just knew that if he worked hard enough, it would sound natural for him too.

With that, the snapper went back to his lessons and Splinter started walking back to his chair, snack cakes still in tow, still feeling a bit surprised at his oldest.

Not that he had anything against his children learning Japanese - he had actually tried to teach them when they were younger, but it quickly became apparent that just teaching them English would be a challenge in itself. Later on, once the boys got into watching anime, they had shown interest in learning Japanese themselves, but this interest had only lasted about a month or so.

Splinter hadn’t been too concerned about this, though. Yes, there were plenty of Japanese people living in the U.S. just like he was, but it wasn’t as if he or his family could talk to them, given their whole situation. They weren’t planning any vacations to Tokyo anytime soon either, so why would they ever need to speak it?

Heck, despite English being his second language, Splinter almost never spoke it himself. After living in America for so long and using only English in his movies, (because according to his agent and directors, audiences hated subtitles), English was pretty much natural at this point.

Still, Splinter just shrugged it off. “Probably just another phase,” he told himself as he settled into his chair. It was nice that Raph was learning a new language, but he wasn’t expecting his interest in it to last.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

With how much his sons enjoyed pizza, Splinter never would have thought they’d ever be able to go a week without it.

And yet, here they were, seven days to the dot and not a single pizza box, fallen pepperoni slice or bit of leftover crust in sight in their home.

Not that Mikey seemed to mind, as he happily continued making their supper for that night - which, as it turned out, was chicken yakitori with rice, miso soup and some homemade mochi for dessert.

“...Huh,” was all Splinter could really say.

“Smells good, right?” Mikey grinned.

“It does, but-”

“I’m cookin’ up a sauce too,” Mikey continued, gesturing over towards a small pot that he had simmering on the stove, “Just to add a little something extra.” After a moment, he added in an almost sheepish way, “I mean, if that’s alright.”

Splinter smirked. “I think we are all used to your experimentation in the kitchen, Orange, and I’m sure your sauce will be ‘razzing and tazzing’.” His youngest gave him a hug for that, which Splinter happily returned.

“But I have to say, I am a bit surprised,” the rat admitted, “You usually do not cook this much of the same cuisine.” Especially when it was so different from their norm. Yes, there were nights when Mikey or his brothers were in the mood for fried rice or a simple noodle dish (especially if they had been marathoning Lou Jitsu movies), but these meals were few and far between.

“I dunno,” Mikey shrugged, “Just trying something new. Something a little closer to home, you know?” Stuff that his ancestors might have eaten, once upon a time.... “And besides, with all the awesome Japanese recipes out there, why wouldn’t I wanna give them a try?” His agedashi tofu and kakuni bossam had been slam dunks while his stir-frys had still been yummy despite being slightly burnt, so why wouldn’t he be excited to try more?

Close to home? Splinter was a bit confused by that, but chose not to comment on it. Instead, he gave a small hum. “...Does that mean that you boys will be interested in trying sushi again anytime soon?” he asked innocently, despite already knowing the answer.

Mikey paused, cringing a little at the tangy and vinegar-filled memory, but managed to keep his smile on his face for the most part. “Yeah, totally! We’d love to try it again! I mean, the last time you got it for us was practically forEVER ago, so- yeah, I’m sure it’ll be wayyyyy better this time.”

“Hmph, it was good last time, you boys were just being picky,” Splinter mumbled. Then again, most toddlers - even ones that were half-turtle - didn’t have much of a taste for raw fish.

Mikey rolled his eyes a bit, but didn’t say anything - mostly because he had to focus on test-tasting his sauce. The box turtle’s eyes practically lit up as it touched his tongue, and after savoring it, he then let out a whoop. “Now THAT is some great sauce, baby!” He could almost kick himself for not fully exploring Japanese cuisine earlier.

As unexpected of a sight as it was to see, Splinter did admittedly feel a bit of pride deep down, knowing that his Orange was enjoying food from his home country (for the most part. He’d still have to find a way to give him a taste for sushi). 

It was sort of nice though, Splinter thought, eating the dishes he remembered eating as a boy or a young man. It had certainly been a while - usually Mikey only really focused on Italian and American cuisine (and sometimes, after binging several episodes of Kondesending Kitchen, British and French cuisine). 

Not that Splinter really minded - good food was good food, no matter where it originally came from. He didn’t expect his son’s “Japanese Dishes Only” mood to last too much longer either. If Mikey felt like doing a theme with his meals - like only brussel sprout dishes or only dishes topped with cheese - it usually only lasted a week. Besides, there was no way _any_ of his sons could go without their favorite dish for too much longer.

So, Splinter just let Mikey continue on with his cooking, deciding to simply enjoy the nostalgic (yet still uniquely Orange) suppers while he could.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

For as long as Splinter could remember, Donnie had always been a bit of a… drama king, to put it nicely. Him and Leo both, if Splinter was being honest, though Donnie’d had a bit of an added edge, showing an actual interest in the aspects and the dramatics of being on stage rather than just focusing on the spotlight itself.

The day Splinter had dressed them up in their little hoodies and taken them to a Shakespeare in the Park performance when they were little, it was all over for Donnie - he had become a Theatre Kid for life.

Given that he knew his purple son pretty well, Splinter wouldn’t have been surprised to see Donnie learning about any aspect of classical theatre in-between his science experiments and his inventions. What Splinter HAD been surprised about, however, was the genre Donnie had chosen.

“You know, it’s quite interesting,” Donnie told him as he wrote down another quick note, “and VERY impressive! I’m kinda hitting myself for not looking it up years ago."

“I didn’t even realize you were interested…” Splinter mumbled as he continued watching the Kabuki performance that was being displayed through their new digital projector.

“As dramatic as Kabuki is though, I’m really starting to lean more towards Rakugo,” Donnie admitted. As much as he loved drama and the occasional fashion montage, he really wasn’t much of a costume guy (or a makeup guy, save for his eyebrows). He was Extra, but he wasn’t THAT Extra. Costumes like these (that didn’t have nearly enough purple in them) were more Leo and Mikey’s thing anyway, and besides, who didn’t love giving monologues? 

“The subtleties used in it are fascinating too,” he continued, “like how they’re able to switch between two characters with just a turn of a head or changing their voice on a dime? It’s pretty cool! A literal two-man play performed by just one person!”

Splinter hummed. “It has its merits, I suppose, if you enjoy storytelling. And you ARE the funny one so, I could see Rakugo fitting you well, Purple.”

Donnie’s smile widened at that, his eyes getting sparkly for a moment. “Heh, gee, thanks Dad. That means a lot… Hey, did you ever do this kind of stuff when you were still in Japan?”

The rat nearly laughed. “Oh no, no, definitely not! I wasn’t much of a ‘traditional theatre’ guy, choosing to create and perfect my own craft and style of acting,” he explained, “My sights were set on movies and Hollywood Land from the beginning!” Besides, even if he had wanted to try Kabuki or Rakugo, it would have been hard to try out for it with his grandfather constantly insisting that he focus on his training.

...Funny how one could grow to miss even the annoying or frustrating things in life…

“Ah, w-what brought on an interest in this stuff anyway?” Splinter asked quickly as he tried to ignore the subtle feelings of guilt.

“I mean, I’ve already seen plenty of Shakespearean Comedies and Tragedies, not to mention more than my fair share of Broadway musicals and, well… I just wanted to explore something new,” Donnie replied, “Something more traditional and personal...” 

Donnie’s expression softened a little at that last bit, and he briefly wondered how many of his ancestors had taken some time off from their duties to take in a show… If they had anything in common with him.

Again, Splinter was a bit confused by his son’s wording, but not enough to press any further. A sudden exclamation from one of the actors turned both of their attentions back to the screen, and Donnie mumbled a curse softly enough to get away with saying it as he searched for the remote.

“What I miss? Did Yasuke tell her who he was?!” Finally finding the device, he paused the downloaded video and rewound it, once again entranced with the drama unfolding - though not enough to forget he had company. “Oh, hey, did you want to watch with me? I can tell you what happened in Acts One and Two.”

“Nah, like I said, not much of a ‘traditional’ guy.” Splinter then patted Donnie’s shoulder before walking out of the room. It was really nice to see one of his boys taking an interest in his craft, even if it was from a genre he himself had no interest in. 

Historical and dramatic stories of romance and war were fine, but give him a stylized and exciting action kung-fu movie any day!

()()()()()()()()()())()()()())()()()()

“...You do realize that yukatas are typically worn in the summertime, right?” Splinter asked his second-youngest son, raising an eyebrow.

Leo paused for only a moment before answering with a not too convincing “Yes, but come on, Pop, if anyone can make it work outside of its season, it’s me.”

“It has nothing to do with fashion. The whole point of yukatas was that they were something cool people could wear in the summertime to festivals or bath houses. Very casual.”

“Heh, kinda like how _you_ walk around wearing old bathrobes all the time?”

“Watch it,” Splinter scolded, though there was no actual anger behind his words, given that he was far too used to the banter he’d typically have with his blue son, “My days of trying to dress to impress are long gone, and I deserve to be comfy. Plus I have fur to keep me warm, _you_ are going to catch a cold if you try to wear yukatas once it starts getting windy.”

“ _Ughhh,_ ” Leo scoffed, crossing his arms, “Fine, fine.” While his stance may have read as ‘uncaring and too-cool-to-care-about-my-dad’s-opinion’, Splinter could still see the subtle frustration and disappointment on Leo’s face.

“...That being said, it does look very nice on you, my son,” Splinter smiled.

Leo immediately grinned at that before shifting his expression into more of a smirk. “Yeah, I know. It was nice to find one that actually complimented my stripes. And it is so soft!” Arms still crossed, he sort of hugged himself, his smile growing as the soft and comfy cotton brushed nicely against his scales.

Splinter chuckled. Leo inherited a lot of personality quirks from him (whether that was a good or bad thing, Splinter was still deciding) and one of things they definitely shared was a sense of fashion. Maybe a bright blue yukata with gold and red-colored swirls wasn’t ‘traditional’ for young men, but if Splinter had been fourteen years old again, he might have picked out the same thing. “Only problem is how it’s wrapped. You’re supposed to wrap the left side over your right side.”

“Left, right, does it really matter?” Leo asked, “What does it mean if it’s the right side over the left?”

“Because right over left is how you dress a body for a funeral, if they’re wearing a yukata or anything similar,” Splinter stated bluntly.

“...Oh.” Wincing slightly, the slider quickly turned away from his father and corrected his mistake - and tried to do so without having to go through the hassle of retying the belt around his waist, causing the yukata to look a bit more disheveled by the time he was finished. “There, got it!”

“Where did you find a yukata anyway?” Splinter asked curiously as Leo took a seat beside his chair.

“There was actually a shop that was selling a few in Little Tokyo,” Leo answered, “Which was good, ‘cause otherwise I would’ve had to look online.” Honestly, he was just happy to not only find one, but find it in his size, given how human clothes didn’t always fit around their shells. “I maaaay owe Donnie a couple ‘no questions asked’ favors for letting me borrow money for it but, eh, it was worth it.”

Splinter hummed. He could recall Leo having a blue bathrobe he sometimes liked to wear, and wondered if it had been lost or destroyed during the Shredder incident. A proper yukata was maybe a bigger upgrade than necessary in terms of a replacement, but eh, if it made his son happy, then Splinter was happy too.

Scorpion Treadmill soon returned from its commercial break, and Splinter could notice Leo half-paying attention to it, only looking down at the social media his phone in-between rounds. “...So, did you watch this stuff when you were younger too?” he asked eventually.

“No, my grandfather did not like television,” Splinter replied, remembering how he’d often sneak out to go to a friend’s house or a restaurant with a TV in the corner whenever he wanted to see any of the new shows that were coming out, “And besides, a lot of these shows did not start until the 80s anyway.”

“Right, right… How old are you again?” Splinter’s tail shot out from behind him to try and lightly smack the turtle in blue, but Leo managed to duck just in time, a smirk still on his face.

“In that case, what DID you do as a kid? I mean, we only saw a little bit of your life back then, so…”

“Well, normal teenage things I suppose,” Splinter shrugged, his tail retracting as he turned up the volume on his show. “That and training. Aaaaalways with the training.”

“But you’d still be allowed to go to festivals and stuff, right?” Leo asked, “And I’m sure Tokyo had plenty of other cool stuff to do, right?” He silently wished that he still had the ability to make portals, wondering how a city like Tokyo could compare to NYC or the Hidden City. Then again, if Donnie could make an awesome tank and an epic drill, then some sort of mini plane that could carry them all across the ocean would be no problem at all, right? It would certainly be worth it, a trip to Tokyo would be the best vacation ev-!

“Why are you so interested?” Splinter said, deciding to answer his son’s question with one of his own as he shook his head slightly, “You boys have been so strange lately.” 

Leo paused, turning to look at the rat. In the background, the Japanese audience clapped and cheered as their latest challenger fell to his pinchy defeat.

“Not that it is a bad thing,” Splinter casually continued, not even noticing the slider’s reaction, “But what with Red with his lessons, Orange with his cooking, Purple watching Kabuki of all things, and now you are asking me about my childhood?” He scoffed a little. Since when did any of his kids - especially Leo - care about his old stories? “I’m not sure where this phase came from, though I guess I don’t mind. I just don’t get why you kids suddenly care about Japan so-”

He stopped, finally noticing the expression on his son’s face. “...much.” Leo’s smile had completely fallen by this point, replaced by hurt but… also a sense of embarrassment? That was almost more concerning than anything else, considering how proud and confident Leo often was - or at least tried to be.

“...Heh, yeah,” Leo said finally, forcing a small smile as he started to sit up. He scrunched up his snout a little as his once-comfy yukata began to feel constricting. “I guess it is kind of weird, huh?”

“Blue-”

“Yyyyyep, just a weird phase,” Leo continued as he got back onto his feet, his covered shell turned towards his father, “Hey so, I’m not really in the mood for TV right now-”

“Leo-”

“So I’m just gonna go play that new game Raph and Donnie picked up from that abandoned Albearto’s knock-off on 75th, alright? Okay, see you later, Pop-”

_“Leonardo.”_

Leo stopped, biting his lip slightly. Ugh, stupid full-name thing… While his fists were still clenched a bit, a gentle hand on his back allowed him to relax, just a little.

“Leonardo,” Splinter repeated, “I am sorry for saying what I said. I didn’t- If you four want to learn about Japan, then you are all totally free to do so, it’s not weird at all!”

Leo’s frown deepened at that. Their father really did only see it as them having a passing interest in another culture, like they just thought it was a cool trend or something… Somehow, that was even worse than him disapproving.

“No, no, we just- Look, it’s stupid-”

“No,” Splinter told him firmly. Slowly, he turned Leo around so they could look each other in the eye. “If it is something you boys care about, then it is not stupid at all! I may not always understand the things you are all into but-”

 _“This isn’t just a thing, Dad!”_ Leo snapped, making Splinter flinch slightly, “You just-! Ugh… We- if anyone was gonna- You… You’re our dad but, you didn’t even…” He stopped, seeing the look of utter confusion on his father’s face. He knew for a fact that what Splinter was doing wasn’t malicious, but that didn’t mean it didn’t still hurt…

Looking away, Leo rolled up his yukata sleeve slightly as he rubbed his arm. “...After we met Gram-Gram, and Grandma Atsuko and the other Hamatos, we just got to thinking… Our family has this history and this culture, and we’ve only really scratched the surface of it. So, we… Well, just me at first but then all of us… We just thought we’d try to get a little more connected to our- ...to their culture and heritage, you know?”

“...” Splinter’s eyes widened, the rat completely speechless. For a moment, he thought to argue or defend, his mind searching itself as it tried to bring up examples - yet always coming up short with each attempt. 

Like many of the other things he had kept under lock and key from his boys until recently, this was yet another part of not just himself but their whole family that he had kept somewhat hidden from his sons… and the funny thing was, he hadn’t even realized he was hiding it.

“...But, like you said, it is kinda weird,” Leo admitted. He forced a chuckle as he tried to add a spin of humor, falling back on a way-too-familiar coping mechanism. “Man, our ancestors must think we’re total weebs, huh? And like, we’re still half-turtle so, who knows if we even count as _real_ -”

Leo was cut off as his father pulled him into a hug. Despite his surprise, it didn’t take Leo very long to return it. His dad, as grumpy and crass as he could sometimes be, always did give the best hugs - and always when they seemed to need one the most.

“My son, there is no question of ‘real’ or ‘fake’,” Splinter told him gently, “And even if you - if I - haven’t really acknowledged that side of our family until recently, you all have still always been Hamato. Just as you four have always been my sons.”

Leo blinked a couple times, his eyes getting wet as his smile slowly returned. “...Thanks, Dad.”

“And you know, you boys don’t have to change anything about yourselves to fit in with the idea of being a Hamato or being Japanese,” Splinter added.

“Heh, yeah, I know,” Leo nodded, letting his father go so he could look at him again, “But, like I said, a lot of this stuff just seemed really cool to us, and… it just seemed like a way to sorta connect with our family. So, yeah…”

Splinter chuckled a little. “Yes, I suppose our culture is pretty ‘cool’. And… I am sorry that I maybe haven’t shared as much of it with you as I should have.” He then smiled at his son. “But seeing you boys want to explore it, and wanting to be proud of your heritage… It makes me very proud, as well.”

Leo said nothing, instead simply pulling his father into another tight hug - with it lasting twice as long as the previous one, and neither of them minding whatsoever.

“...You said you wanted to hear about the festivals I went to?” Splinter said after a while, when Leo’s grip began to loosen, “Because there was this one time at a Fuji Matsuri. Basically it’s a spring festival, one of quite a few in Tokyo. Jiji - sorry, your great-grandpa Sho - actually took me to that one, even if I still ended up ditching him by the end of the night. But to be fair, that had been an accident!”

Leo laughed a little, sitting back down beside his father’s chair. “You said he took you to that one. So there were some he didn’t want you to go to?”

Splinter nodded. “While he would still want us to participate in the more traditional festivals that still had great meaning, he thought that trying to go to EVERY festival would have been a distraction. But back then, I would have gladly suffered doing two dozen extra katas each day if it meant getting to go to the Fireworks Festival! Of course, I still had to sneak out...”

“Heh, and you always give US the third-degree whenever we sneak out,” Leo snickered, “Hypocrite. Also, didn’t you guys live on the top floor of a pretty tall apartment building?” 

Splinter gave the boy’s mask tails a small tug for the hypocrite comment. “Even as a novice, a climb like that wasn’t TOO hard for a ninja-in-training. Pretty sure Jiji would have been angrier if I _couldn’t_ handle a simple climb down a building...” he mumbled, “And also, I’m your father, it’s my job to scold you for sneaking out.”

“Fiiiine, whatever, fair enough,” Leo rolled his eyes, leaning now on the arm of his pop’s chair, “So come on, what was so great about these festivals?”

“Heh, lots of things. Oh! There was this one time, at Azabujuban - oh, that was my FAVORITE night festival!” Splinter grinned, the memories easily flooding back, “And there was this one game stall that everyone swore was impossible to win, but I knew better! I just had to figure out how to get the top prize…” 

Settling in, Leo gladly listened as Splinter began to tell his tale, the slider being both curious and excited about his dad’s old stories, while the game show on screen became nothing more than background noise.

()()()()()()))()()()()()()()()()()()()

Splinter’s nose twitched slightly, the relaxing scent of simmering tea slowly emerging from his new tea pot. He turned the heat down ever so slightly, deciding that the drink would only need another minute or so.

Behind him, his boys were preparing supper - a dish that, while they were still excited about, even Mikey seemed to look like he had second thoughts over. He had laughed at their reactions when he had first told them about Mayo Jaga pizza.

“You boys have eaten talking slugs on your pizzas before, and you are calling Mayo Jaga weird?” Splinter had questioned.

“Excuse you, those slugs are delicious!” “Yeah, they even said so themselves!” “The slugs don’t lie! Not to mention they have a pretty great, super-chewy texture. How can you beat that?” “Also, I’m sorry I just have to ask - who thought of putting corn, potatoes and MAYONNAISE on a pizza?!”

“Ugh, I don’t know, I didn’t invent it - I just tried to eat it whenever I had a chance to eat pizza!”

Still, as strange of an idea as Mayo Jaga might have seemed to them, his sons never backed down from a challenge - especially when it involved their favorite food! 

So there they were, crowded around the kitchen table, each of them taking turns adding the various toppings to their supper. The twins lightly quarreled over how much cheese and parsley was too much while Mikey, still in the middle of mixing their mayonnaise drizzle for later, was just trying to get Raph to stop ‘taste-testing’ the prosciutto.

While he may have rolled his eyes, Splinter couldn’t help but chuckle a little at his sons’ antics, only stepping in when it was time to put the pizza in the oven. Once that was done, he served each of them, including himself, a cup of green tea. Of course, the boys each had a glass of pop to go with their meal as well, but considering how much pop he drank as a teen, Splinter couldn’t really blame them.

Sitting in his seat and listening to his family chat amongst themselves as they waited for their food, Splinter sighed silently to himself, thinking back to his old life - his _first_ life as not Splinter or Lou Jitsu but as Hamato Yoshi. A life that, even after all these years, still held a place in his heart.

Despite everything, Yoshi had never truly hated life in Japan. It had been his home… It was _still_ his home, and there was plenty that he had loved and plenty that he missed. But at the same time, what felt like home had also begun to feel like a weight or a prison, especially as he got older. Each day there, each new lesson or new skill mastered was just another step towards his destiny - a destiny he was supposed to walk towards with pride and honor, according to his grandfather. The same destiny his ancestors had followed, to keep the world safe. The same destiny his mother had followed… 

Yoshi could still remember the nights he stayed awake, twisted up with anxiety and angst and bitterness, wondering if this was all there was to his life. If he was nothing more than another link in the Hamato chain, destined to sacrifice his dreams, and happiness and even his life for a world that didn’t even know who the Hamato Clan were anymore and an armored demon that might not have even existed.

Above all else, Yoshi knew it was these thoughts that had pushed him to escape, leaving the things he loved about his home and the remaining family he still loved behind for a life of fame, stardom and freedom. Though, even back then, he hadn’t been one hundred percent sure if he had made the right choice…

Getting used to life in America had actually been harder than he had anticipated, and for those first couple years in the U.S., Lou had felt like more of a fish out of water than he would have liked to admit. It wasn’t just the occasional language barrier or which side of the street cars drove on, but plenty of subtle things too like social norms and lifestyle changes.

But Lou had still been young, and the younger you are, the easier it is to adapt. By the time his first film premiered, he had started feeling fairly comfortable as a Japanese-American. Things he once had to remind himself of soon became second nature, and his second home - one he had made on his own through determination, inspiration and a fair bit of heartache - had slowly but surely started to feel like his _true_ home, at least for the most part. 

Everyone knew who he was, and everyone seemed to accept him just as he had accepted his new life in America, able to act just as ‘American’ as every other celebrity he worked with. Even the occasional semi-racist comments he’d sometimes get from the paparazzi couldn’t make him feel like too much of an outsider. He was Lou Jitsu now and he was the action-movie king of the world, far too busy with various film projects and having fun to even think about all the things he had left behind. 

(He had made sure of that, figuring a small case of burnout or a hangover in the morning was still better than reliving those bitter nights of his youth.) 

Of course, this couldn’t last, and several years into his illustrious career, Lou’s life was turned upside down once again. He found himself plunged into the world of Yokai - creatures he once thought were old grandpa tales were now the opponents he fought each day, sometimes reluctantly and sometimes eagerly, if only to get one last taste of stardom. 

Another decade or so passed while he was in the Nexus, the arena having long since lost any sense of appeal, his pride being thoroughly replaced with shame and hollowness. He had become so jaded that the idea of being some yokai’s science experiment didn’t even seem like that bad of an end for him. At least if he was dead or in a jar or whatever, he wouldn’t have to pointlessly fight anymore.

It took one final battle as his human-self, a pretty drastic makeover, and an impromptu adoption, but after all that time, he had finally gotten himself yet another new home - one that had lasted thirteen long but happy years, one that he had shared with the people he loved most of all, and one that Splinter knew he would never truly leave behind, just as he had never really forgotten his first home either. 

But in a sense, he had kept his first home - the memories and the culture from it and the importance of it and the life he lived in it - to himself, it would seem. Maybe that had almost been as bad as forgetting…

A round of laughter startled Splinter slightly, bringing him back to the present. Looking across the table, he saw his beloved children. Leo was still very much enjoying his yukata (even if he had been forced to wear an undershirt underneath it to keep warm) and lounging in it as he drank his tea. Mikey was sticking his tongue out a bit in concentration as he practiced some calligraphy on a napkin, wanting to practice the movement and the style so he could repeat it later on using spray paint instead of a pen. Raph was enjoying his tea as well, though his focus was alternating between it and the tablet Donnie kept shoving in his face, insisting that his big brother read his latest Rakugo script - a subject that Donnie was becoming just as passionate about as he was about inventing and singing.

Splinter’s smile softened at the sight of it all, a special sort of warmth growing in his chest. Bitter feelings and criticisms about it aside, Splinter had never hated the culture he and his family had come from… but at the same time, he had never really pushed himself to share it with or teach it to his sons as much as he probably should have.

Oh sure, there had been small things - explaining a certain reference from a Lou Jitsu movie or anime, making them a certain dish when they had the ingredients for it, trying (and, he was big enough to admit, failing) to teach them in a traditional way. But overall, Splinter had never really thought about teaching his kids about his - about _their_ culture. He hadn’t felt the need to, or the drive to.

He hadn’t had a problem with Raph finding an interest in American-style wrestling or luchador, just as he hadn’t had a problem with Donnie finding a dramatic thrill in Shakespearean and Broadway productions, or Mikey enjoying more European styles of cuisine or the distinctly New York flavor of street art, or Leo with his love of western sci-fi franchises. It was admittedly a bit strange when Leo also decided to take up Spanish, but again, this wasn’t seen by Splinter as something worth disapproving of.

They were finding their own hobbies and interests, a freedom he had only managed to gain through independence. As such, Splinter wasn’t about to try and force their attention away from the things they already liked for tradition’s or heritage’s sake. The Turtles had never really shown more than a passing interest in Japanese culture anyway, so why try to teach them about it? And besides, Splinter had long since gotten used to a life outside of Japan, not feeling like he was missing out on very much at all - and if he wasn’t missing out, then neither were his boys, right?

...Well, it wouldn’t be the first mistake Splinter had ever made as a parent, and he was sure it wouldn’t be the last. 

Still, Splinter thought to himself, he could at the very least try and correct his mistake. And hey, maybe there was a good reason why tradition and culture tended to be passed down through the generations - a reason that wasn’t forcefully tied to the fate of the world - and really, that made it all the better in the old rat’s eyes.

The timer from the oven alerted the family of five, letting them know that it was finally pizza time. Mikey grabbed it from the oven, quickly determining that it was perfectly cooked, and Splinter took it upon himself to drizzle the mayonnaise onto the pizza in a diagonal, checkerboard-like pattern. One by one, they each grabbed a slice.

“Itadakimasu!” Raph said perfectly, smiling proudly as he brought his slice up to his mouth.

 _“Itadakimasu!”_ his brothers and father repeated, smiling back at him. With that, each of them took a bite.

“...Huh, you know, that’s actually pretty good!” Leo admitted.

“More than pretty good,” Raph scoffed, “Mayo Jaga's great!”

“It does have a pretty interesting flavor profile,” Donnie commented, “And all of the toppings aren’t nearly as overwhelming or confusing as I thought they’d be.”

“Yeah, and the mayonnaise works well too!” Mikey nodded, “A sort of extra tanginess that still meshes well with everything else!”

“Seeeeee?” Splinter smirked, “I told you boys it would be good! And since it was my idea, I call the last slice!” The boys immediately argued against that, making their father laugh. “Heh, guess you all really do like it,” he mumbled, popping a fallen bit of prosciutto into his mouth.

“Mm, so-” Mikey started to say, pausing for a moment to swallow, “Anyone got any plans for what to do after supper? ‘Cause I wanna keep this Hamato-Style Family Night going!”

“Well, I for one wouldn’t mind hearing another one of Papa’s stories,” Donnie spoke up, smiling a little. His father smiled - while they still didn’t really care too much for his behind-the-scenes tidbits, it was nice to know that they didn’t find ALL his stories boring.

“Oh yeah!” Raph grinned, “I wanna hear more about Great Great Uncle Genko and his sweet sai skills, or how Gram Gram’s kids ran the last of the Foot Clan out of Hamato territory after she separated the Kuroi Yōroi!”

“Or how about the time Grandma Atsuko literally used her awesome ninja skills to grab the last Christmas cake just before the shop closed?” Leo butted in, smirking a bit.

Splinter laughed. “Oh yeah, that was a fun holiday, and I am definitely telling you all the rest of that story sometime. But actually, I was thinking I would teach you boys how to play hanafuda.” He produced a small deck of used cards, with the back of the top one being black and completely blank. He picked it up, and showed them all the beautifully designed art on the front of the card.

“So, it’s a card game?” Leo asked, he and his brothers all leaning in a bit to get a closer look.

“Yes, though much more complicated than something like poker or Old Maid,” Splinter replied, “But I’m pretty sure I still remember all the rules, and once you get the hang of it, it’s not so bad.” He looked down at the card - a full moon card - and his gaze softened a bit. “I would sometimes play this with your Great Grandpa Sho when we had a day off from training, or over the holidays…”

“...Well then, count me in,” Raph insisted, his smile just as eager as it was gentle. The other turtles quickly agreed, more than ready to learn how to play - well, after finishing up their meal, of course.

It didn’t take too long for them to clean up their dishes, and as they settled in for what was sure to be several rounds of the card game, even dragging out beanbags and pillows from the TV room and their bedrooms to be comfy during it, Splinter’s eyes wandered towards their small shrine.

There were more photos now - some sketched out by Splinter himself from memory and others drawn by Mikey that were based on the stories he and his brothers had finally gotten to hear. A part of him still wished they had some actual photos, but Splinter knew it wasn’t necessary. Not as long as they remembered that whether they could see their ancestors or not, they were never alone - and no matter where their home was or what kind of lives they lived or other interests they had, they would still always be Hamatos.

Still, one night a week dedicated to sharing and exploring the traditions and culture of their family wasn’t a bad thing by any means, Splinter thought to himself. Nope, not a bad thing at all.

**THE END**


End file.
